WFAN has shuffled its lineup for the second time following Craig Carton’s exit.
Overnight host Sal Licata is moving to middays, according to The Post. He will team up with Brandon Tierney and replace former Giants star Tiki Barber, who is getting called up to afternoon drive alongside Evan Roberts following Carton’s decision to work solely on his FS1 morning show.
MORE: 5 thoughts after Craig Carton’s WFAN departure
Licata is fiery and prolific — he also works on SNY and appears on Sports Illustrated’s sports media podcast regularly. And he has had viral moments. He was the obvious next man up among WFAN’s non-daytime full-timers once Barber promoted. Licata and Tierney should not have any issue maintaining WFAN’s ratings lead over ESPN Radio New York’s midday pu-pu platter.
Next up: WFAN needs a new overnights host. You figure that will be a big break for someone. It is an often overlooked, but still important, spot. The station does not screw around with it. But the big concern moving forward is whether Barber and Roberts can maintain the lead WFAN currently enjoys over ESPN’s “The Michael Kay Show.”
Carton and Roberts officially launched their WFAN show in January 2021. That means they have competed head-to-head against Kay and co-hosts Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg for 10 ratings periods total, including the current one.
Carton and Roberts have won nine books, including another projected lopsided victory in the current one. Kay and company have won once. And WFAN is closing in on its sixth straight win after Kay’s Fall 2021 triumph. Carton and Roberts have effectively tripled Kay’s ratings at various junctures during the streak while Kay has rolled out a series of complaints and gripes to explain away his massive deficits. That said, WFAN has not beaten Kay without Carton or Mike Francesa in the last five years.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
